10 shocking facts about turtles? You be the judge

Turtles and tortoises are believed to have existed for about 210 million years, making them among of the oldest organisms on Earth. An Aldabra giant tortoise is shown here.

Turtles and tortoises are believed to have existed for about 210 million years, making them among of the oldest organisms on Earth. An Aldabra giant tortoise is shown here. (Alberto Pizzoli / AFP/Getty Images)

"More people need to be in shock about turtles," says herpetologist Brad Shaffer of UCLA. Shaffer was the lead author on a recent paper about the mapping of the painted turtle genome. He provided us with these 10 shocking facts about turtles.